Rape suspect connected to 2 missing local women, including his wife

by DARREN BOTELHO, WLOS

Last week, News 13 reported that Clarence Octetree, 55, may have been the last known person to see Regenia Hendrix, 55, before she went missing in April 2014. This week, News 13 discovered his wife, Alma Octetree, 61, was reported missing in 2014. (Vinelink; Courtesy Patricia Rice; National Missing and Unidentified Persons System)

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) - An Asheville man accused of raping, beating and burning a woman — while holding her captive for three days — has also been connected to two missing local women.

Last week, News 13 reported that Clarence Octetree, 55, may have been the last known person to see Regenia Hendrix, 55, before she went missing in April 2014. This week, News 13 discovered his wife, Alma Octetree, 61, was reported missing in 2014.

Asheville police said Clarence Octetree was arrested Jan. 12 after being accused of holding a woman against her will in his apartment, raping, beating and burning her with cigarettes before she called 911 with his cellphone.

Clarence Octetree was named in the missing person report for Hendrix, who was an acquaintance, with family members saying she went with him to look at a trailer in Shelby before her disappearance.

"My uncle is the one that said, 'Hey, this is the guy she got in the car with,'" Hendrix’s son Daniel Hart said.

According to North Carolina Department of Public Safety records, Octetree had seven pages of convictions, including a prison escape and an assault on a female.

Hart said he spoke with Asheville police Detective Phil Allen after Octetree's arrest in January.

"He contacted me after me calling and leaving him a message," Hart said.

Hart said Allen told him he questioned Octetree about the two missing women.

"He said that he had mentioned my mother and Alma Octetree to him and with no response from [Octetree]," Hart said.

As investigators work on those cases, Hart said, he hoped to eventually get a response from Alma's family through Facebook posts.

"This is all over Facebook, you're liable to see it, but I'd love for you to come forward to put your family at rest, to put my family at rest to what happened to her," Hart said.

Asheville police detectives working on those cases were not available for comment Monday.

Also, on Monday, Octetree had a court date set and remained at the Buncombe County Detention Center as of Monday evening on $105,000 bond.